In a conventional agitator-mounted wash additive dispenser, the timing of fabric softener dispensing is determined by operation of the agitator. Dispensers are often provided with one or more chambers (or stages) so that fabric softener is transferred from an inner chamber to an outer chamber as a result of acceleration and deceleration of the agitator during a spin cycle. In such dispensers, fabric softener is dispensed by gravity flow into the tub during a deep fill portion of the rinse cycle.
However, so-called "high performance" washing machines have been developed in which there is no deep fill rinse. Such washers are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,666, assigned to the assignee of the present application, and incorporated herein by reference. This patent discloses a high performance washing process for vertical axis automatic washers which includes the recirculation of wash fluid through a spinning wash load prior to agitation. In place of a deep fill rinse, a wash basket is spun at high speed such that the wash load is centrifugally displaced against the basket. During spinning, the wash load is sprayed with recirculated spray rinses, flush spray rinses, or both. Since there is no deep fill rinse cycle, conventional rinse additive or fabric softener dispensers are unsuitable for use with high performance washing machines where flush spray rinses are utilized. Furthermore, conventional dispensers are designed to discharge their contents in one dispensing sequence. Due to the wash methods employed in the high performance washer, it may be desirable to affect two or more applications of fabric softener, in order to give a more uniform coverage of the clothes load.